UK-wide hunt for terror suspect Daniel Khalife as airports put on alert

Daniel Abed Khalife, a former British Army soldier, is thought to have used makeshift straps to cling onto a food delivery van while wearing a chef’s uniform.

He escaped from the Category B prison on Wednesday morning.

He was awaiting trial for providing information about the British army to the enemy. As of Thursday morning, there has been no reported trace of his whereabouts.

Sir Keir Starmer has hit out at the government’s chopping and changing cabinet for creating uncertainty within the ministry.

“It certainly hasn’t helped that in the last 10 years we’ve had 10 justice secretaries,” the Labour leader told Sky News.

“I know from my time as director of prosecutions just how important stability is when it comes to criminal justice.”

The Port of Dover is continuing to advise passengers to take more time in crossing because of the “enhanced” checks.

The Brock Zero traffic management system is now in place – which means the M20 in Kent is closed between junctions 8 and 9.

Ports and airports across the UK have said that vigorous checks will be taking place as the search for Khalife continues.

The chief inspector of prisons has warned staff shortages are “the source of many problems” at HMP Wandsworth, where a suspected terrorist soldier escaped undetected.

Charlie Taylor said it is “concerning when anybody escapes from prison” and they are “now very rare”. But the nature of the allegations levelled at Daniel Abed Khalife made this case “extremely concerning”, he added.

Mr Taylor said it “should be standard practice” for vehicles entering and leaving the prison to be checked and a prisoner has to earn a “certain level of trust” in order to be allowed to work in a kitchen.

He said: “Something obviously went wrong in terms of security, and that will come out over time.

“But the issue that we are particularly concerned about is there are too many prisoners in Wandsworth for the amount of staff who are there. And that ultimately is the source of many of the problems in the jail.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk told MPs today that Daniel Khalife “will be found and will be made to face justice”.

Conservative MP Mark Fletcher asked whether the justice secretary was considering if Daniel Khalife had assistance with his escape.

Mr Fletcher said: “The presence of strapping on the underside of the vehicle would seem to indicate that there may have been some planning involved in this.

“In regards to protocols and staffing arrangements, are there any implications that he may have had some assistance in this particular escape?”

Justice secretary Alex Chalk said the idea had also occurred to him and colleagues and officials.

“All lines of inquiry being considered,” Mr Chalk said.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk told MPs that two urgent reviews would also take place regarding the categorisation and placement of all HMP Wandsworth prisoners and all those in custody charged with terrorism offences.

Mr Chalk said that “strapping” was found underneath a delivery vehicle which he added may indicate Khalife held on to the underside of it in order to escape.

There are fears the fugitive – who has been missing since 8am on Wednesday – might try to flee the country.

Detailing what he knew of Khalife’s escape, Mr Chalk told MPs: “At approximately 7.30 yesterday morning, a vehicle which had made a delivery to the prison’s kitchen left HMP Wandsworth.

“Shortly afterwards, local contingency plans for an unaccounted prisoner were activated and in line with standard procedure the police were informed.

“The prison was put into a state of lockdown while staff attempted to determine Daniel Khalife’s whereabouts.

“The vehicle was stopped and searched by police after the alert was raised.

“Strapping was found underneath the vehicle which appeared to indicate Daniel Khalife may have held onto the underside of it in order to escape.”

Mr Chalk ended his statement by saying: “Daniel Khalife will be found and will be made to face justice.”

Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters said that there was a “lot to look at” regarding how a prisoner could escape in this way.

“I think we need to have an independent insight into what went wrong. I think everybody will want to know why some of the reports of failings in Wandsworth were not acted upon more quickly. I think we may well find, as we have found in other sectors, there is a pattern of behaviour that isn’t just confined to Wandsworth.

He said that the “chopping and changing” of secretaries of state had produced “instability and inconsistency”.

“Decisions that should be made are not made in the way they should.

“There is a lot to look at here.”

Daniel Khalife was never in Belmarsh prison, Alex Chalk has confirmed in response to a question from shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Ms Mahmood, who was handed the justice brief in this week’s Labour reshuffle, said: “Why was a suspected terror offender held at a Category B jail whilst on remand despite many other suspected and indeed convicted terrorists being held in the high security estate?

“Why was Daniel Khalife moved from Belmarsh to Wandsworth?”

Mr Chalk said the question was “factually incorrect”.

“He was never in Belmarsh,” Mr Chalk said.

Daniel Abed Khalife, a 21-year-old soldier with the Royal Corps of Signals was being held on remand at the Category B prison after he was accused of planting fake bombs at a military base in the West Midlands, and other charges relating to the Official Secrets Act.

Security was tightened at airports and other international departure points on Wednesday, after Khalife – who worked in the prison’s kitchen – outwitted the guards as he fled the south London jail in his cook’s uniform at 7.50am.